$100 grocery challenge......

So, with all these house projects going on. You can imagine our budget is uhm, strained.

I've been looking it over and while I do totally believe that food is the most important investment you can make in your health, I also think it's a place where I slip up and splurge.

So, I'm challenging myself to spend $100 per person for the month of February. This is about $150 less than our usual budget of $750, which isn't huge to begin with. Our family of six means $600 for the month, or $150 per week. I set the amount per person, because my kids are enormous eaters. In fact, I think they eat more than Joe & I do! Each family will have unique needs, of course, depending on dietary situations and geographical location. I'm not starting empty handed either, so to speak. The freezer is stocked full of salmon & pork from our farm share and Alaska visit. The pantry staples are in average abundance. I didn't stock up before starting this, and I do hope to eat a lot of what is in the pantry and freezer.

This is going to be difficult for me. I'm a foodie. Food is my language, my breath. I love to spend $6 on a sadly small wedge of fancy cheese and shave off tiny pieces of it for days..... I want sliced avocado on everything.... and maple whole milk yogurt on my granola..... and.......

If I could have an unlimited budget in one area, it would be food. Hands down. And while I don't think I could sustain this budget for the long haul, I do think it will be a good way to challenge my skills over the next month.

Here's some ways I thought of saving some money.... (some of them we already do, some I need to get back to)

make our yogurt

make our bread

skip the cereal & instead have eggs & toast, granola or hot cereal

no trips to the bakery

dried beans

make all of our snacks (no boxed stuff)

pack a lunch & snacks, always

As for how we eat...... my goal is whole foods, lots of fresh veggies, & mostly homemade. On top of that, I want to eat a green smoothie or meal sized salad every day. I would love to eat all organic food, but we honestly can't afford to. I choose local hormone free milk, free range eggs & only a portion of our produce is organic. (this is a good guide for what you should try to buy organic.) Honestly, in the end.... I still think eating huge salads for lunch vs organic pb&j sandwiches is healthier. You know? Life has compromise. I'm okay with making kale chips from conventional kale now and then. They've got to be better than cheese crackers.

So..... who wants to join me? C'mon. Look at your budget. Or set one up if you don't have one.... and see if you can carve a little off. (12% of your budget is the suggested amount) Make a few more things at home. Eat some more beans. That kind of stuff.

I'll be here every Friday for the next four weeks, sharing the previous week's menu & the low down on what I bought for groceries & what it cost. I'll be totally honest if I fail miserably. I'll share one delicious cheap meal with you too.

Comments

So, with all these house projects going on. You can imagine our budget is uhm, strained.

I've been looking it over and while I do totally believe that food is the most important investment you can make in your health, I also think it's a place where I slip up and splurge.

So, I'm challenging myself to spend $100 per person for the month of February. This is about $150 less than our usual budget of $750, which isn't huge to begin with. Our family of six means $600 for the month, or $150 per week. I set the amount per person, because my kids are enormous eaters. In fact, I think they eat more than Joe & I do! Each family will have unique needs, of course, depending on dietary situations and geographical location. I'm not starting empty handed either, so to speak. The freezer is stocked full of salmon & pork from our farm share and Alaska visit. The pantry staples are in average abundance. I didn't stock up before starting this, and I do hope to eat a lot of what is in the pantry and freezer.

This is going to be difficult for me. I'm a foodie. Food is my language, my breath. I love to spend $6 on a sadly small wedge of fancy cheese and shave off tiny pieces of it for days..... I want sliced avocado on everything.... and maple whole milk yogurt on my granola..... and.......

If I could have an unlimited budget in one area, it would be food. Hands down. And while I don't think I could sustain this budget for the long haul, I do think it will be a good way to challenge my skills over the next month.

Here's some ways I thought of saving some money.... (some of them we already do, some I need to get back to)

make our yogurt

make our bread

skip the cereal & instead have eggs & toast, granola or hot cereal

no trips to the bakery

dried beans

make all of our snacks (no boxed stuff)

pack a lunch & snacks, always

As for how we eat...... my goal is whole foods, lots of fresh veggies, & mostly homemade. On top of that, I want to eat a green smoothie or meal sized salad every day. I would love to eat all organic food, but we honestly can't afford to. I choose local hormone free milk, free range eggs & only a portion of our produce is organic. (this is a good guide for what you should try to buy organic.) Honestly, in the end.... I still think eating huge salads for lunch vs organic pb&j sandwiches is healthier. You know? Life has compromise. I'm okay with making kale chips from conventional kale now and then. They've got to be better than cheese crackers.

So..... who wants to join me? C'mon. Look at your budget. Or set one up if you don't have one.... and see if you can carve a little off. (12% of your budget is the suggested amount) Make a few more things at home. Eat some more beans. That kind of stuff.

I'll be here every Friday for the next four weeks, sharing the previous week's menu & the low down on what I bought for groceries & what it cost. I'll be totally honest if I fail miserably. I'll share one delicious cheap meal with you too.